High-quality independent journalism informs and engages the public, debunks misinformation, brings together communities, and holds the powerful to account. As the biggest investors in journalism in the UK, news media publishers are the powerhouses for journalistic content, often setting the news agenda for others to follow, providing a significant contribution to our democratic society.
Yet, although the explosion of digital has enabled news media titles to take their journalism to more people than ever before, publishers have to date been unable to realise the fair commercial value of their content online. Multiple studies, including the Cairncross report and the Competition and Markets Authority’s review of the online advertising marketplace, have stated unequivocally that the stranglehold the tech platforms have on online advertising is causing publishers to miss out on their fair share of revenues. Their dominance of digital advertising and key distribution channels continues to divert value away from the publishers who invest in producing trusted journalism.
Google and Facebook could be reaping up to £1 billion in value annually from news publisher content which appears on their platforms, yet only a fraction of that flows back into the industry, which invests in journalists and public-interest reporting. Academic analysis has described the value returned to publishers as “disingenuous”, with Google estimated to return less than £75 million a year. This structural imbalance places the business models of news publishers, particularly local news publishers, under intense strain, undermining the sustainability of journalism across the UK.
Current Situation
“The market dominance of the online space by the big tech giants has a real impact on consumers, audiences and existing and new businesses looking to grow and innovate.”
Baroness Tina Stowell, chair of the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee
For years, news publishers have operated in this highly dysfunctional market, which has precluded them from realising the fair returns for their content. Despite this, the industry has proved to be remarkably resilient with relatively few title closures in recent years, considering the severe headwinds faced by the industry.
The government has recognised this imbalance through the establishment of the Digital Markets Unit within the CMA, with a clear remit to address entrenched market power and promote genuine competition.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has empowered the CMA with the tools to tackle entrenched market power in the digital economy, where a small number of dominant tech giants abuse power to their own advantage – at the expense of consumers and businesses.
The publication of the CMA’s proposed conduct requirements for Google Search marked a significant milestone for the new regime and represented an important first step towards addressing longstanding concerns around the visibility, treatment and use of publisher content in search. The CMA has also recognised concerns relating to AI-powered search products and the impact they may have on publishers’ ability to monetise their journalism.
These investigations into Google Search and Google’s ad tech services, as well as into Apple and Google’s mobile ecosystems, mark a critical test of the new regime. These markets sit at the heart of publishers’ ability to reach audiences and monetise their journalism, yet remain characterised by opaque practices, self‑preferencing and entrenched market power that undermines effective competition.
The NMA welcomed proposals that would allow publishers to exercise greater control over the use of their content within AI Overviews while remaining visible in search results, alongside measures to improve transparency and fairness in search rankings. However, these proposals must now be robustly enforced and developed further if they are to deliver meaningful change for publishers.
The NMA welcomed the DCMS Committee’s recommendation in their report on the Sustainability of Local Journalism for “clear and explicit provisions” to ensure smaller local publishers are remunerated fairly under the pro-competition regime. This was reinforced by the government’s 2026 Local Media Action Plan, which backed the CMA in using its DMCC Act powers to tackle Google’s abuse of dominance and to support a more sustainable future for local journalism.
What action do we want to see?
With the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act now in force, the emphasis must be on rapid and robust implementation. The CMA must act swiftly to ensure that the benefits of the new pro‑competition regime are realised in practice, not delayed through protracted processes or diluted remedies.
The CMA must move swiftly to implement and enforce its proposed conduct requirements for Google Search. Measures relating to ranking, transparency and publisher control over the use of content in AI-generated products must be effective, enforceable and capable of delivering meaningful improvements in practice. The regulator must also remain alert to attempts by dominant platforms to circumvent or dilute the intent of the regime.
Alongside implementation of the Search remedies, the CMA should prioritise the development of payment-for-content conduct requirements. News publishers produce highly valuable content that drives engagement across digital platforms and services, including search and AI products, and they must be able to secure fair remuneration for that value. Bringing forward payment-for-content remedies quickly should therefore be a priority for the Digital Markets Unit.
Meta’s Facebook should also be prioritised for designation next, given its continued gatekeeper role in news distribution. Concerning the mobile investigation, the NMA was disappointed that the CMA chose not to consult on voluntary commitments from Apple and Google rather than bringing forward legally-enforceable conduct requirements.
The needs of news publishers, national, regional and local, must remain central to the development of the regime. Local journalism is particularly vulnerable to market imbalances despite providing content that is essential to democratic participation, community cohesion and the fight against mis- and disinformation.
Above all, the CMA must move at pace. The government must also provide the CMA with its full political backing as it implements the regime. The regulator has been entrusted by Parliament with a vital role in restoring competition in digital markets and must be given the support, resources and independence necessary to carry out that task effectively.
The NMA will continue to work closely with the CMA and government to ensure that the DMCC regime delivers meaningful change, restores value to those who create trusted journalism, secures fair payment for content, and creates a more sustainable and competitive digital market for publishers, consumers and businesses alike.
